Propeller guard and deflector for outboard motors



July 14, 1959 D. P. BROWN 2,394,477

PROPELLER GUARD AND DEFLECTOR FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS Filed Nov. 29, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 8 Daniel P. Brown INVENTOR.

BY H

y 1 1959 D. i BRO N 2,894,477

PROPELLER GUARD AND DEFLECTOR FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS Filed Nov. 29, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 6

Daniel P. Brown IN VEN TOR.

only 3% United States Patent PROPELLER GUARD AND DEFLECTOR FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS Daniel P. Brown, Waresboro, Ga.

Application November 29, 1955, Serial No. 549,670

3 Claims. (Cl. 115-42) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in outboard motors and more particularly to a combined guard and deflector to deflect weeds and debris away from contact with the propeller.

An important object is to provide rearwardly diverging deflector arms supported by the foot of the motor in front of and at the sides of the propeller to sweep marine growth or floating debris away from the propeller.

Another object is to provide a guard and deflector which may be constructed either integrally with the foot of the motor or as a separate unit attached thereto under the usual cavitation plate and wherein the device includes a forwardly projecting fin which increases maneuverability of the boat.

A further object is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is eflicient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purpose for which the same is intended.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an outboard motor foot equipped with an integrally constructed guard and deflector;

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view;

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view showing an attachable guard and deflector attached to the foot;

Figure 6 is a rear elevational view thereof;

Figure 7 is a front elevational view thereof;

Figure 8 is a bottom plan view; and

Figure 9 is a top plan view of the guard and deflector removed from the motor.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention, and first with respect to the construction illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, the numeral 5 designates the foot of an outboard motor and which includes a gear housing 6 with the propeller 7 mounted at the rear thereof and a combined rudder and guard 8 under the gear housing and which is inclined rearwardly to underlie the propeller.

A pair of arms 9 and 10 are cast integrally with the foot and each include a horizontal outwardly tapering and rearwardly inclined web portion 11 at the side of the gear housing and terminating in a relatively narrow tip 12 at the side of the propeller.

The front is also formed with a cavitation plate 13 and under which a vertical fin 14 is formed which projects forwardly at the front of the foot above the gear housing to function as a rudder, T e rear of the plate 13 is 2,894,477 Patented July 14, 1959 provided with a downwardly projecting vertical fin 15 positioned behind the propeller and a vertical web 16 extends from the upper front portion of the fin 15 to the rear edge of the foot above and in front of the propeller.

The modified construction illustrated in Figures 5 to 9 inclusive comprises an attachable guard and deflector designated generally at 17 and includes a substantially U-shaped horizontal plate 18 which is attached to the underside of the usual cavitation plate 19 of the foot 20 of an outboard motor. The bight portion 21 of plate 18 projects forwardly at the front of the foot and tapers to a tip 22 and to the underside of which a vertical triangular fin 23 is cast or otherwise suitably secured to form a rudder in front of the foot.

A pair of arms 24 and 25 in the form of rods are welded or otherwise suitably secured at one end to the opposite sides of fin 23 and extend rearwardly therefrom at a downwardly inclined angle and in diverging relation to each other for positioning the rear ends of the arms at the opposite sides of the propeller 26.

In either construction the arms 9 and 10 or 24 and 25 deflect weeds or other marine growth away from the propeller, while the vertical fin 14 or 23 functions as a rudder to aid maneuverability of the boat.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In an outboard motor, the combination of a foot having a propeller mounted at its rear edge and a forwardly extending cavitation plate above said propeller, a pair of longitudinally straight arms supported at the sides of the foot and projecting in a rearward direction at opposite sides of the propeller in coplanar relation, and a vertical fin projecting forwardly at the front of the foot beneath said cavitation plate and joined to said foot and to said cavitation plate.

2. In an outboard motor, the combination of a foot having a propeller mounted at its rear edge and having a cavitation plate above the propeller, a vertical fin at the front of the foot under the cavitation plate, and a pair of longitudinally straight arms supported at the sides of the foot and projecting in coplanar relation in a rearward direction at opposite sides of the propeller and comprising webs tapering edgewise rearwardly and terminating in rear end relatively narrower tips.

3. In an outboard motor, the combination of a foot having a propeller mounted at its rear edge and a cavitation plate at the sides of the foot above the propeller, and a weed guard comprising a horizontal U-shaped plate attached to the cavitation plate in a position straddling the front of the foot, a vertical triangular fin on the underside of the U-shaped plate and supporting in a forwardly projecting position in front of the foot, and a pair of straight rods carried by the fin and extending rearwardly therefrom in diverging coplanar relation at opposite sides of the propeller.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

